Brabham vs EllenbrookTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Brabham (WA 6055) is approximately 21 km north-east of the Perth CBD, south of Henley Brook. Ellenbrook (WA 6069) is approximately 25 km north-east of the Perth CBD, on the edge of the Swan Valley. At the 2021 Census, Brabham had 8,665 residents with a median age of 29, and Ellenbrook had 24,668 residents with a median age of 32.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Brabham and 2% in Ellenbrook, while 12% of Brabham households rented compared with 25% in Ellenbrook. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
WA 6055 · North-eastern growth corridor of Perth
Brabham
Brabham is a City of Swan suburb gazetted in 2011 on the former Caversham Airfield, where 83.4 per cent of households hold a mortgage and only 4.2 per cent own outright.
City of Swan. Approximately 21 km north-east of the Perth CBD, south of Henley Brook.
Read the full Brabham guideWA 6069 · Outer north-east metropolitan Perth
Ellenbrook
Ellenbrook is a master-planned town in the City of Swan with modern detached houses, mostly mortgaged households and a rail terminus opened in 2024.
City of Swan. Approximately 25 km north-east of the Perth CBD, on the edge of the Swan Valley.
Read the full Ellenbrook guide
What buying in Brabham and Ellenbrook would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Brabham and Ellenbrook.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Brabham to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Ellenbrook to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Brabham and Ellenbrook: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Brabham | Ellenbrook |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 8,665 | 24,668 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 29 | 32 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,155 | $1,846 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $370 | $350 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,928 | $1,833 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 12% | 25% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 83% | 59% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 4% | 15% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 97% | 89% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 2% | 9% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 2% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 3% | 10% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 52% | 56% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 4% | 6% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Brabham and Ellenbrook
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Brabham
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Estate covenants differ between developers across the suburb and run with the land.
- A house and land package is usually two contracts, for the land and for the build.
- A construction loan draws down in stages against an as-if-complete valuation.
- Builder contract variations after loan approval can leave a funding gap.
- Some lenders apply postcode-based limits to high loan-to-value lending in growth corridors.
Ellenbrook
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- High loan-to-value borrowing is common, so lenders mortgage insurance or eligibility for the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme is often relevant.
- Construction loans are drawn in progress payments and valued on an as-if-complete basis, which differs from lending on an established home.
- A large part of Ellenbrook is designated bushfire prone, which can require a Bushfire Attack Level assessment and raise construction and insurance costs.
- Design guidelines and restrictions registered on a title can govern house style and the time allowed to build on vacant land.
- Valuers may test newly built homes against established sales in the same village, which matters where the deposit is small.
Housing stock in Brabham and Ellenbrook compared
Brabham
- Estate housing from 2011 onward
- Separate houses numbered 2,780 at the 2021 Census, 97.4 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four bedroom family homes
- At the 2021 Census, 1,404 dwellings had four bedrooms against 1,269 with three.
- Very limited attached stock
- Only 63 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings and 11 flats were counted at the 2021 Census.
Ellenbrook
- Four-bedroom project homes
- Single-storey brick family homes built by volume builders; four-bedroom dwellings numbered 4,147 at the 2021 Census.
- House and land packages
- Vacant lots in newer subdivisions bought with a separate building contract and funded by a construction loan drawn in stages.
- Townhouses and compact homes
- Semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings numbered 725 at the 2021 Census, a small share of the town's housing.
Official sale price and rent figures for Brabham and Ellenbrook
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Brabham
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Brabham, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Ellenbrook
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Ellenbrook, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Brabham and Ellenbrook
Brabham
Transport
- Whiteman Park Station (train)
- Ellenbrook Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Tonkin Highway (road)
Amenities
- Everglades Avenue town centre
- Whiteman Park
- Brabham community facilities
Ellenbrook
Transport
- Ellenbrook Station (train)
- Ellenbrook Station bus interchange (bus)
- Tonkin Highway (NorthLink WA) (road)
- Drumpellier Drive (road)
Schools and campuses
- Ellenbrook Secondary College (secondary, government)
- Ellenbrook Primary School (primary, government)
- Malvern Springs Primary School (primary, government)
- Holy Cross College (combined, catholic)
- St Helena's Catholic Primary School (primary, catholic)
Amenities
- Ellenbrook Central
- Ellenbrook Library
- Ellenbrook Community Centre
- Ellenbrook Sports Hub
- Swan Active Ellenbrook (under construction)
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Western Australia education department.
Compare Brabham or Ellenbrook with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Brabham or Ellenbrook
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Brabham and Ellenbrook, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.